Dreams

I am a Senior in college… I am graduating on May 9th… Am I sad or happy?

All of these are things that I have had on my mind for the last few weeks. As my time at Fontbonne comes to an end, it is time for me to reflect.

What have I done… What am I doing next… How do I connect the two?

I have donated so much time to the Fontbonne community, through being SGA president to Fontbonne Days for three years. There are so many out there that have still given so much more. I loved my chapter at Fontbonne and it pains me that this time must come to a close. I have grown so much as a person here from student government, professors, being a student intern, and even my academic courses. I am a totally different person than the girl that walked on campus back in 2012. I am attending Saint Louis University in the Fall to get my masters degree in Student Personnel Administration. I am going to be in college for the rest of my life (that is what they tell me). But I plan to have much more of an impact on others than what most people see. I have always wanted to help people, to grow, to lead, to be more than what they dream they can be. If it wasn’t for my time at Fontbonne, and those who have helped me grow, I would have never chosen this career for myself.

Who am I now… How is that going to help me… Am I really ready to “Adult”?

I am different, I have changed, I have grown. I know that I am on the right path. I have always been told that I can do anything I set my mind to; I believe that to this day. I can do or be anything I want to be in this world. I want to help students like myself realize that early; money is not everything in this world. It does not matter how much money you make if you are in a job that you hate. Live for what you believe in and do whatever you wish to do. Someone along the line will support you, and help you to grow into the person that you need to be for the career.

Believe me, this is not the end… It is just a new chapter in the book of my life. And I cannot wait to see how it reads.

This has quickly become my mantra this year and I have never been happier. For as long as I can remember, I have always gone somewhere with someone. No big deal, right? Wrong. Going anywhere alone sounded crazy for the longest time and I always dreaded just the idea of it. Recently, I have taken up *practically* hibernating at Starbucks. This has lead to me not only being more productive, but has also been my first stepping stone into truly unleashing my independence. I’ve done countless things 100% on my own since then and even strike up conversation with friendly strangers from time to time. I know it may not seem like a huge accomplishment just yet, but it’s all about the stepping stones, people. My goal by the end of the year is to be a-okay (and actually enjoy) going to a movie on my own. My goal in the next couple of years is to move to a place where I know absolutely no one (just don’t tell my mom just yet). When I step back and think about where I want to be five years from now, my options are truly endless. Life is about adventure and dreaming big…and I can’t wait to see where my post-grad adventures take me.

Hey there Griffins! Back with more advice and a story to tell. We all have dreams right? For some of you, that dream may be becoming a doctor, politician, athletic trainer, or even a first generation college graduate. Whatever your dream is, know that it is achievable and you have every right to chase after it. I know what some of you may be thinking “why should listen to you? Aren’t you a student yourself? And your answer is yes, you’re right, I am a student, just like everyone who may or may not read my posts, and you’re right, I don’t have all answers to all the questions life has to ask.

What I do know though, is that every person on this planet has a dream or goal they want to achieve, and I can kinda sense that someone out there may need a little push or someone to tell them not to give up on their dreams. Well, aren’t you lucky? That’s why I’m here! Let me tell you a little about some of my own dreams, hopefully it’ll inspire you to go after your own.

Ever since I was about five years old, I have always wanted to be a lawyer; specifically, a criminal prosecutor. When I was around that age, I actually wanted to go Harvard Law School to begin my journey. Now you may be thinking, “if you’ve always wanted to be a prosecutor, why in the world are you a communication studies major? And why did you stop chasing this dream? Well, those are great questions, Griffins; the first one will be answered in my next post (that means you’ll have to come back next week…. stay tuned….). The second question though, I’d be happy to answer now. The reason why I put the dream of becoming a prosecutor on hold, is because of the naysayers in my life. Let’s be honest here, Griffins, we all have a naysayer in our life, some of us may have an entire team of naysayers in our lives. Whether your naysayers are family, friends, church members, or a significant other, they are in our lives, and trust me, it can get really tough when you’re chasing something. The truth is, I listened to my naysayers for a really long time. When everyone around me told me that I couldn’t be a prosecutor because my grades weren’t good enough, I believed them. It wasn’t until last semester, during my time as a dispatch intern, that the dream of becoming a prosecutor started to reawaken in me. After a routine visit to the doctor, I decided that that little five year old girl who wanted to be a lawyer would finally achieve the dream her little ambitious heart desired. I know it’s not going to be easy; nothing worth having is ever easy to achieve. I know the work will probably be tough, and believe me, I am very aware that there will be law students who are smarter than me; but I don’t care, it’s time for me to make myself proud.

I’ll leave you guys with two pieces of advice: the first would be to go after your dreams, whatever those may be. Give them all you have, make the appropriate sacrifices, and invest in yourself at all times. The second piece of advice would be to never quit. Ever. No matter how hard it gets, or how scared you become; don’t give up. Always be willing to fight for what you want.

I’ve adopted a new mantra lately, and that is “Do one thing every day that scares you”. In other words, get used to pushing your comfort-zone. I think many can relate when I say that in the past I’ve certainly let my fears stop me from leaving my fluffy, comforting comfort-zone.

Comfort zones may feel good in the moment, but after too long they can be suffocating. Remaining in a comfort-zone for too long can leave a person with a lot of what-if’s. This week I pushed majorly past my comfort zone and posted my first vlog (a video blog on YouTube). Getting in front of a camera can be scary! When I made my first few practice-takes I felt nervous, anxious and embarrassed. As the process came along, I become more familiar with angles, tricks, and how to edit my videos. It felt empowering. I owe some credit to my uber supportive boyfriend who encourages and pushes me to go after my passions and dreams.

So that’s that! I have my first video out and although it wasn’t as easy as I thought, I worked for it and made it happen. Pursuing your dreams is empowering! Is anyone pushing their comfort zone this summer?

I hope that with summer in full gear, everyone is spending their summer doing the the things they love!
-Katie

The title of this blog really is the biggest lesson I’ve ended up learning here at Fontbonne this semester. Not that I didn’t know or believe in following my dreams before, that’s one of the reasons I’m here in the first place, but I guess you could say that the lesson has been solidified. One […]

A couple months ago, an amazing opportunity came my way. I was offered to be the head shoes and accessories coordinator for St. Louis Fashion Week Fall 2014. As someone that is a fashion major and wants to pursue event planning, this was an absolutely perfect position and way to combine my passions. The past […]

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My name is Anna and I am excited to share some fun details about life at Fontbonne and in the St. Louis area with you! I'm currently a freshman majoring in dietetics, I love to be outside, and I am a strong Christian!

Hi guys! My name is Morgan, and I am currently a sophomore here at Fontbonne studying Speech-Language Pathology! A few things about me: I'm on FAB's (Fontbonne Activities Board) executive team for marketing; and I'm also involved with Dance Marathon and Griffin Gang. During the summer, I work at Baskin Robbins in my hometown of O'Fallon, MO! I can't wait for you all to get to know me through my writings! :-)